Year in Review

For Pup 'N Iron and me, 2007 was a year of change, challenges, and triumphs. Like every other year of my life, it was a year that God taught me many lessons about myself, others and life in general. It flew by and quite frankly, I'm glad to see it go and am happy and optimistic about 2008.

Pup 'N Iron experienced a lot of growing pains this year. Firstly regarding personnel, our continually growing daycare required additional technicians. That placed me in the position, yet again, of having to hire people I didn't already know. In some cases it worked out well, in other cases it was a nightmare, but it all was a learning experience. Running my own business continues to give me opportunities to test my instincts, especially when it comes to judging character. I can honestly say that I did not disappoint myself. I paid attention to red flags and as a result was able to predict potential problems. In the end, we go into 2008 with the absolute best, most trustworthy, honest, hard-working, and dedicated staff we've ever had.

We also got our pool up and running in 2007 and added an additional unit that now houses our Pro Shop and Natural Pet Food Store. The growth has been rapid but was necessary to keep us at the top of the pet services industry in our area. A place like ours with all we have to offer will be extremely difficult to duplicate. Simply put, there's only one Pup 'N Iron!!

On a personal note 2007 was a heart wrenching year. In September Tucker had to undergo two abdominal surgeries: one to remove his spleen, and the other to repair a part of his intestine. I'm happy to report he recovered well and sprung back like a champ. Post recovery he went on to earn his UCDX - United Kennel Club Companion Dog Excellent title. We also added a new puppy to our household. Glendale's To Be or Not to Be, aka "William," is a 15 week old bundle of energy!! He is turning out well and is a frequent visitor to Pup 'N Iron. You will see him a lot this coming year as we train for conformation and obedience competition.

Looking ahead I want Pup 'N Iron to remain the premier dog activity facility in Virginia by continuing to offer the most innovative classes, workshops, seminars and programming around. Watch for our first Pup 'N Iron wedding in June 2008! Other upcoming events this year will be more obedience and agility workshops and seminars, playgroups, run throughs and practice sessions, Teacup Dog Agility Association agility trial, a Holistic Dog Retreat weekend, C-Wags competitions, and the first Pup 'N Iron Performance Camp, and lots more. We want to continue to be trendsetters!

So, I want to wish you all a great 2008 and hope to see you and your dogs having fun and broadening your relationship.

Woofs,
Laurie

Favorite "Dog Movie" - Fun Topic

We've had such controversial and intense topics so far on the blog, I thought I'd throw out just a fun topic for us to discuss. I'm a huge movie buff and usually try to see most dog related movies, either in the theater or at least on dvd when they're released. How about everyone listing their top five dog related movies and why they love those movies so much.

I'll start.

1. Lady and the Tramp - I must've been about 6 or 7 years old when I first saw this beautiful movie. In fact, I think this is one of the first movies I can remember seeing. My mommy took me to see it and I was mesmerized. I loved it so much and to this day I get tears in my eyes thinking about it.

2. 101 Dalmatians - Duh, huh? Yes, the Disney company single handedly ruined the Dalmatian breed, but I'm sorry, I have nothing but love when memories of seeing this movie come to mind. God I hated Cruella DeVille. She is still one of my most hated movie villains of all time.

3. My Dog Skip - It was probably the time of my life that I saw this movie, but I remember leaving the theater crying almost uncontrollably after seeing this movie. My Irish Terrier bitch Fiona had just turned 16 years old and I was going through a difficult time in my life at the time and just seeing the elderly Skip sent me right over the edge. I will never forget it.

4. Eight Below - This one caught me by surprise. I wasn't expecting much but I really found this movie to be very well done, so much better than the other Husky movies like Snow Dogs (barf). I also loved the fact that it was based on a true story. That is always a plus.

5. Lassie - Okay, there are probably a dozen or more movies with Lassie as the heroine (even though oftentimes the dog playing Lassie was a femaile impersonator!!), but I have to give it up for the most popular dog movie star of all time. Lassie is the quintessential symbol of the most awesome dog ever. I could watch a Lassie movie or episode of the 50's television show anytime.

Let's hear yours .................

My new obsession -The Dog Whisperer

I have to admit that I am fasinated with Cesar Millan, the Dog Whisperer. I even added 100 more channels just so I could get the National Geographic channel! Every afternoon from 2-3pm I'm glued to the tube in awe of what he can do with an unruly dog. Even the not so unruly ones, today there was a Newfoundland that would not eat his food. He doesn't claim to be a "dog trainer" but a dog phychologist. "I rehabilitate dogs, train owners".

The fact that his "pack" can all wait for Cesar to hand out chicken and none of them fight over the food, just amazing to me. They also do not bark constantly once "shhhhst". Wouldn't that be great for daycares?

I have a problem with Logan running at the door and barking. I've tried shaking a can of pennies, telling him to "shush", etc. After watching an episode of "The Dog Whisperer" I've gone to "claiming my space" in front of the door to keep ALL the dogs from crowding me. This has been very effective. I like it much better than the "throw them outside" method I had been using.

There is even an article in my son's Cub Scout magazine about him.

What does everyone else think of Cesar???

What do I think of Michael Vick?

What do I think about Michael Vick? Well first, let me just say I'm not a pro football fan at all, haven't been since I was a little girl growing up in Allentown, PA and you had no choice but to be one. Go Steelers! But that was a loooooong time ago, and ever since I've actually developed a strong dislike for professional football and its players. I find many of them overpaid, overrated and downright arrogant. And of course I am a MAJOR dog lover - duh, I've only devoted most of my adult life to working with them in some capacity. So, by all accounts I would be the prototype person calling for the head of Michael Vick. And I am. But at the same time I am disturbed by all the hypocrisy surrounding the issue. From the way it's being presented you would think Michael Vick invented dog fighting. This vulgar, inhumane and despicable practice has existed for hundreds of years, in fact it wasn't until 1976 when dog fighting was finally outlawed in all 50 states. Even more importantly, the reason dog fighting was outlawed had more to do with its association with other criminal elements (gambling, drug trafficking, etc) than our government's compassion for animals. Because let's face it, our government and society at large cares very little about dogs. This is apparent from the fact that hundreds of thousands of homeless dogs are euthanized every year like waste products. Where's the public outcry about that? Not to mention the fact that our government still considers a dog property, i.e. a dog owner can take a perfectly healthy dog in to be euthanized with no repercussions whatsoever because, after all, it's his property.

And then I guess we're supposed to believe the NFL really cares that deeply about animals and dogs in particular, huh? It's common knowledge that the NFL is no stranger to dog fighting. Quite a few players have been involved in it through the years but now that Vick has been outed, the NFL and commissioner Goodell want to distance themselves from it. Okay.

Well, let's look at the good that will hopefully come from all this. Dog fighting is under the microscope now. All the former case precedents will now come to light and the slap on the wrist sentences they've previously received will undoubtedly become much stiffer. That's a good thing. And maybe in an effort not to appear like complete hypocrites, all of us who are outraged by dog fighting will also take a stand on other equally barbaric and vulgar practices like fox hunting and any sport hunting for that matter. Yes, I consider the willfull, calculated and planned murder of an animal of any kind for sport to be despicable. I just can't understand anyone who takes a life of any kind for fun. Yuck.

So yes, string up Vick, if for no other reason but for being one of the dumbest people on the planet. He, along with the likes of Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie, et al, sure know how to mess up a good thing, don't they? Here he was a young man enjoying benefits that most people can only dream of and what does he do? He throws it all away. Idiot. And he has no one to blame but himself. He made his bed, now he will have to wallow in it. Good riddance. But while we are stringing him up, I hope we don't stop there. I hope this puts all killers of animals for sport on notice. Wrap it up any way you like it, you're no better than Vick in my book.

Why I Let Tucker Sleep With Me

When we first get in, he cozies up real close, usually lays his head on my leg, my shoulder, or my chest, and is very respectful. More importantly, he is warm, cuddly, and with Mike often working til the wee morning hours, he's an appropriate bed buddy that won't land me in divorce court. It's one of the most peaceful, tranquil parts of my day. However, after a few hours the bliss is gone. I'm usually awakened by the discomfort of a large mass pressing against me and the covers forming a turniquat around one of my legs. What I find is Tucker has completely claimed the bed and has systematically shoved me right up to the edge. Any attempts to move him are met with dead weight and then the battle ensues. First I have to break free and unravel myself from the spider web of covers I'm trapped under, then I have to literally sit up and push him with all my force back over to his side of the bed. The funniest thing is, he pretends to be in a dead sleep. Yes, I said pretend. I know I tell my classes all the time that dogs are not calculating, but I tell you, he should get an Academy Award for this performance, because I am quite sure if I were opening up a bag of treats he'd spring out of that bed like greased lightening. So, this may go on a couple of minutes, and then we are back to our peacful co-existence, until Mike comes home and kicks him out of the bed entirely!

But we do this dance every night and will continue to do so? Why? For those first few tranquil, peaceful moments that I simply must have. No matter what has occurred during the day, those moments make everything seem alright. Those moments helped get me through Bryan's illness. Those moments help get me through a hard day at PNI.

Tucker will be 9 years old in September. I will continue to cherish every night he is still here and able to shove me to the edge of the bed.

Pet Food Recall

I couldn't agree with you more. Why isn't the public made aware that these so called high quality foods are not high quality? Isn't that false advertising? I've read the ingredients and they sound as if they are okay. I think I'm going to start making the dog food myself. (Of course I can't cook worth a darn and perhaps the store bands would be safer.) But this last recall has really got me thinking. It is not easy changing food diets for 5 cats. They are particular and won't even consider eating a piece of chicken. The dogs no problem they will happily eat just about anything. My challenge is to find a truly high quality food that doesn't have corn in it. One of my dogs seems to have a food allergy. Any suggestions?

The Pet Food Recalls - A HARD lesson

I haven't fed grocery store brand dog foods for well over 15 years. The last one I remember purchasing with any regularity was Purina One. But even still, I've only been feeding human grade food for about the last 3 or 4 years. So, even though I have fed what I thought were the better foods, it's only been pretty recent that I figured out, hey, if it isn't fit for human consumption, do I really want to feed it to my dogs? Uhhh, duh! But why did it take me so long? I'm an educated person. I ate well myself and knew all about proper nutrition for humans. Why didn't the same standard cross over for my dogs? The truth is, just like the millions of people who have been scared straight by this recall, I truly didn't know. I had absolutely no idea the origin of the ingredients in most commercial dog foods. I never thought about it and assumed the ingredients were safe. I assumed they had to pass the same regulations as our foods. Ha! As they say, ignorance is bliss - until reality comes crashing down on you. I remember the woman who set me straight. Her name was Evie Velez. At the time I was confidently feeding Nutro Natural. When she told me that was a sub par food, I was flabbergasted. How could that be??!! And then she explained the difference between most commercial and human grade foods. My first question, why isn't this information getting out to the public. And most importantly, whose responsibility is it to educate them? Breeders? Vets? Trainers? The government? Ha Ha?

Is this what had to happen in order for people to understand that any food unfit for human consumption shouldn't be fed to our pets??